As far as I'm concerned there is no other possible conclusion that that of intimidation. The folks at Phoenix the other day were there for no other reason. I live in Arizona and there are a few folks around here that carry sidearms and we know them and consider them pretty harmless but if they were carrying a AR-15 I and I believe most folks in town would be very worried. A few months ago there was a lockdown at the schools because one of the kids saw, what to him, looked like someone walking down the sidewalk in front of the school with what looked like a gun. The problem is that should have been considered perfectly legal by our laws as the person if he even existed was threatening no one.
I dunno, I grew up rural/country, so I shot a pistol as a kid. I've had a couple, no biggie.
I think its like drinking or driving, the kids (more or less) copy what they grow up with. I knew early on they were extremely dangerous. (Being on a farm is a good basic education)
I think the guns in the hands of hate filled persons is the real danger, and those hands are, more often than not, white, sometimes even holding a badge...